Antimicrobial metallized thin films for refurbishing communal contact surfaces

An antimicrobial metallized substrate, comprising:

• a polymer film having a first surface and a second surface disposed opposite the first surface, the first surface offset from the second surface by a film thickness, the polymer film providing a metallization area on the first surface;
• a pre-metallization material layer comprising a conductive metal deposited on the metallization area of the first surface;
• a metal layer comprising at least 90% copper plated onto the pre-metallization material layer at a metal thickness measured in a range from 2.0μ to 5.0 microns, wherein the metal layer comprises an exposed contact surface that is uncovered along a complete length of the polymer film;
• and
• an adhesive layer formed on the second surface of the substrate layer and extending an adhesive layer thickness to an adhesive attachment surface.

A method of refurbishing a communal surface of an object by attaching an antimicrobial metallized thin film to the surface, comprising:

• providing the antimicrobial metallized thin film, comprising:
• a substrate layer having a first side and a second side disposed opposite and offset from the first side by a substrate layer thickness, the substrate layer extending planarly over a length and width of the substrate layer;
• a pre-metallization layer of metal deposited onto the first side of the substrate layer at a deposition thickness;
• and
• an antimicrobial metal plating layer plated onto the pre-metallization layer at a plating thickness, wherein the antimicrobial metal plating layer comprises an antimicrobial metal selected from at least one of copper, silver, zinc, and cadmium, and wherein a physical contact surface of the antimicrobial metal is uncovered along at least one of the length and width of the substrate layer;
• and
• selecting the communal surface of the object to be refurbished with the antimicrobial metallized thin film;
• and
• attaching the second side of substrate layer to the communal surface of the object to be refurbished causing the antimicrobial metallized thin film to remain on the communal surface of the object such that the antimicrobial metal is exposed to physical contact.